Heidi and Lauren xoxox

This post has nothing to do with Heidi Montag from MTV’s reality TV show The Hills, although you were probably searching for her on google when you ended up here. The Montag we care about is Canadian musician Antoine Bedard, whose EP Hibernation caught our attention when we were on the AW Music blog today. Going by the name Montag, Bedard makes smooth, down beat electro-pop, tossing together a range of analog  synths and acoustic instruments.

His style is reminiscent of M83 or Animal Collective, weaving images of lush landscapes and bitter cold nights cooped up around the fire. It keeps you close, almost delaying time, pondering life as if choosing weather to speak to you or not. Raised in the icy Alps of Quebec, Canada, French speaking Bedard is highly respected as one of Canada’s most eclectic electronic artists.  His debut album Going Places featured collaborations with Victoria Legrand of Beach House, Anthony Gonzales of M83 and Owen Pallett of Final Fantasy. On the title track ‘Going Places’, Bedard collaborated with 70 different musicians from 15 countries capturing a unique international sound.

On Hibernation, Montag’s new EP which was released in February, he speaks only once, singing in French on ‘La Symetrie Du Coeur’; the other six tracks are entirely instrumental. They have a dark, cold feel about them, perhaps inspired by the Canadian winter and they relate very well to our current climate here in New Zealand. Brushed with those icy cold shades of winter, Montag will suit fans of beautifully layered instrumental pop, or even fans of folk singers like Bon Iver.

Both Hibernation and Going Places were released on the Carpark Records label and can be purchased from the label’s website.

Montag- La Symetrie Du Coeur: MP3

 Montag- Myspace

 

Posted by Nick Fulton under Montreal